Paper copies of each individual board member's declarations of interests are available on request.

In line with Government Best Practice Guidance, D2N2 has also ensured that all of its Board Members and staff have signed a code of conduct, based on the Nolan Principles of Good Governance.

Dates of D2N2 Board Meetings (2018)

January 15

March 19

May 18

July 16

October 18

November 30

Learn more about any of the D2N2 Board Members below.

Elizabeth Fagan - Chair

Elizabeth Fagan became Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership in July 2018.

Elizabeth is also Non-Executive Chair of Boots; and was previously Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Boots (from June 2016 to September 2018). In this latter role, she led all of the Boots businesses, both across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, with the support of Boots' senior leaders.

Elizabeth previously held the position of Senior Vice President, Managing Director, International Retail, Walgreens Boots Alliance from the company’s creation in December 2014 to June 2016. During the eight years prior to the merger with Walgreens, Elizabeth held a number of Marketing Director roles within Alliance Boots and its businesses. Elizabeth re-joined Boots UK in 2006 as Managing Director of Boots Opticians, having previously worked for Boots Group some 16 years before this appointment as Group Buyer. Elizabeth also worked for DSG International Plc for 10 years.

Elizabeth is President of the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers and is a member and past President of Women in Advertising and Communications Club. She became a Fellow of the Marketing Society in August 2013 and was also a member of the ASA Council for six years. In January 2018, Elizabeth was appointed to the Board of the Office for Students, and in June 2018 was appointed Non-Executive Director of Brambles Limited. Elizabeth also sits on the first UK industry-led Retail Sector Council, which launched in March 2018.

David Williams - Geldards LLP (Deputy Chair)

David is Chairman of Geldards LLP, a law firm with around 300 staff and offices in Derby, Nottingham, Cardiff and London. After originally qualifying as a lawyer David had careers also as a property developer and as General Manager of a major building society. After heading the property team at Geldards for many years, David has recently taken up responsibility for the private client team.

In addition to these roles, he is Chairman of East Midlands Business Limited and holds a number of trustee and non-executive positions. He is now Vice Chair of Governors at Derby College.

Councillor Jon Collins - Nottingham City Council

Currently Leader of Nottingham City Council, Jon has been a Councillor of St. Anns, a Nottingham inner city ward, since 1987. During this time he has served as Chair, Community Development Committee, seven years as Deputy Leader and as Portfolio Holder for Education and Work (1999-2003).

Jon chairs the Renewal Trust a local community development trust; and was previously a Board Member on the City's Primary Care Trust, the Learning and Skills Council, and the Greater Nottingham Partnership Forum.

He was until recently Chair of One Nottingham, the City's Local Strategic Partnership. Prior to undertaking his current role as Leader (since 2003), Jon completed an MBA (Public Services), and worked as an Urban Regeneration Consultant and Housing Development Officer.

Peter Gadsby - Ark Capital

Peter is one of the region's best known and most successful business leaders, and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise; particularly in the areas of property development, regeneration, construction and business finance.

During the past 20 years Peter has built up substantial businesses, the forerunner being Birch PLC with a £100m turnover. Latterly under the Ark Capital banner, he has grown a business portfolio incorporating some of the most successful companies in the region including Radleigh Group, Miller Birch and Cedar House Investments.

Recently Peter established a £10m venture capital fund backing businesses in the food, IT, telecoms and technology sectors. Job creation has always been at the forefront of Peter's drive to develop the area. On Pride Park he has delivered 300,000 sq.ft. of mixed use development leading to the creation of 700 jobs. In November 2012 he completed the 105,000 sq.ft. Trinity House office development, for E.On UK, safeguarding 1,000 jobs and providing a tremendous economic boost for Nottingham.

In 2009, his achievements were recognised by the University of Derby with the award of an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration.

Paul J Harris - Rolls-Royce plc

In Paul’s 29 year career with Rolls-Royce he has undertaken a wide range of project, commercial, strategy and technical roles; but all with the underlying theme of innovation and growth in high integrity, high value-added industries. In his current role, Paul engages with governments around the world to find the optimum location for new investments and manages a large portfolio of existing incentive contracts globally.

Paul represents Rolls-Royce on the Aerospace Growth Partnership Board, is a member of the Midlands Engine Senior Leadership Group, an elected CBI Regional Councillor and a Director of Metlase Ltd.

Professor Kathryn Mitchell - The University of Derby

Professor Kathryn Mitchell joined the University of Derby as Vice-Chancellor in September 2015. The University has 34,000 students in the UK and worldwide, operating sites in Derby, Buxton, and Chesterfield. It was awarded Gold in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework. Prior to joining Derby, Kathryn has spent much of her career in the Higher Education sector.

Kathryn was a Wellcome Fellow at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and has worked at the University of Chicago, The Rockefeller Institute, New York and the Friedrich Meischer Institute, Basel with research interests in behavioural health sciences.

David Williams - 3W Growth

David Williams is the Director of 3W Growth, a Nottinghamshire-based business consultancy; helping company owner-managers and leaders grow their businesses, make more profit and achieve their goals.

He is the former Managing Director of Butt Foods, a high growth bakery in Nottingham which supplies innovative bakery products to manufacturing and food service customers in the UK and Europe. He is also a past Chairman of The Food and Drink Forum, and is a Non-Executive Director of The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing.

Tony Ashton - High Peak Borough Council

Councillor Tony Ashton became (Conservative) Leader and Executive Chair of High Peak Borough Council in 2015. He also represents the borough’s Sett ward, as a Councillor.

In addition to his Council role he is a member of the following external bodies: The Derby & Derbyshire Strategic Leadership Forum, Derbyshire Partnership Forum, East Midlands Councils, the Local Government Association, New Mills and District Volunteer Centre and the Peak District Partnership.

Andrew Pickin - Shoosmiths LLP

Andrew Pickin has been a Partner with national law firm Shoosmiths since he joined the firm in 1997. During that time he spent two periods as Head of Shoosmiths’ Nottingham Office. He has a wide range of business law experience, and has spent many years managing and training lawyers in Shoosmiths’ Technology Media and Commercial Team.

Andrew has for a number of years also been a member of the CBI Regional Council in the East Midlands, reflecting his interest in the economic development of the area.

In 2011 Andrew became involved with Top Valley Academy through the Business in the Community (BiTC) Business Class Programme. Inspired by the insights into education gained through this engagement Andrew became a Governor of Arnold Hill Academy in 2014, and Chair of Governors later that year.

Andrew lives in Woodthorpe and is married to Joy. They have four grown up children.

Melanie Ulyatt MBE - One to One Support Services

Since founding One to One Support Services in 2006, Managing Director Melanie Ulyatt has been on a remarkable business journey. From an optimistic start-up in Chesterfield – commencing with her background in Health & Social Care services, a strong desire to improve sector conditions locally and the will to influence others along the way – to where she is today, an established, successful and inspirational business woman.

In 2006 Melanie established One to One Support Services as a Domiciliary Care services provider in, Chesterfield – providing clients with and exception level quality and dignity in the care they received.

Eventually, growth and success led to relocation to current premises in Hasland, Chesterfield. Identifying a need to provide highly trained staff, with a wide variety of skills, qualifications and experience, Melanie created her own Health & Social Care sector training company – the One to One Training Academy.

The One to One Training Academy provides a wide range of funded courses in specialist Health & Social care areas, such as dementia, stroke care management, end of life care, functional skills; along with traineeships for 16-24 year olds, and apprentice training and communication courses needed to support those with sensory impairments such as British Sign Language and Deafblind. They now contract with many colleges, regional and national establishments for the delivery of training courses.

Melanie is an inspirational business figure regionally and is an elected volunteer Chair of Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Federation of Small Businesses (FSB); a role in which she represents no fewer than 6,500 SME’s. She also volunteers in the business community around 40 hours per month supporting different boards and committees. This includes being on the board for the SCR CA/LEP Skills, the Employment and Education Board, and also the Chair of the Supporting Business Skills Partnership.

Jane Howson - Autism East Midlands

Jane has worked across the public and third sectors for over 25 years, has a masters degree from York University and four sons, including a 23 year old with autism. Jane took up her post as Chief Executive with Autism East Midlands (formerly Norsaca) in September 2013. Since then the organisation has been undergoing a period of significant change aimed at improving financial viability and quality of services-in addition to the name change.

Jane is a Trustee and Chair of the Autism Alliance UK. This is a national alliance of charities providing services for people with autism. The Alliance aims to improve both choice and quality of the support and services available. The Alliance works with government agencies and other bodies of influence, to ensure that Autistic people have an effective voice. As part of this work Jane co-chairs the Cross Sector Partnership with Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society. Jane has sat on the Autism Programme Board, the Royal College of GPs advisory panel on autism, the Hidden Impairments National Group and the Transforming Care National Provider Forum.

Jane’s previous roles include managing investigations at the Office of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and leading a General Medicine Department in a District General Hospital. Immediately prior to joining Autism East Midlands Jane was Business Development Director at Linkage Community Trust.

Councillor Barry Lewis - Derbyshire County Council

Councillor Barry Lewis became the Leader of Derbyshire County Council in May 2017, having served on the county council since 2009.

In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Barry is the county council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism.

Holding a Masters in Archaeology and Heritage Management following his BA (Hons) degree in Environment and Archaeology, Barry had a near 20 year-long career in archaeology and heritage management, including delivering a successful programme for the University of Nottingham in Malaysia.

He also wrote a book on the deep history and archaeology of hunting in Britain from the Ice Age to the present, as well as a number of magazine and journal articles. He maintains an interest in the built heritage of the Midlands region and is a life member of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust.

Barry is a local businessman as a Director of Amber Valley Wines, a Derbyshire vineyard, and the owner of Derwent Mills Cottages, a small but busy holiday letting business.

He is also the part-time Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, a high-profile national body dedicated to the growing and production of wines.

Councillor Kay Cutts - Nottinghamshire County Council

Cllr Katherine Cutts MBE, universally known as Kay, is Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council having first been elected as a County Councillor in 1989, and as Leader of the Conservative Group in 2000.

Kay was born and brought up in Nottinghamshire, having lived in the County all her life. She has spent 45 years working for her local community, starting her political career as a Parish and District councillor before joining the County Council as the member for Radcliffe on Trent. In 2013, she was awarded an MBE for services to local government.

Cllr Cutts has been a Governor at Radcliffe-on-Trent Junior School for over 28 years, and has remained an active supporter of her local parish councils and volunteer groups. Since her group regained control of the County Council in May 2017, she has made it her priority to empower local communities and ensure that they get the best value from their authorities. She will use her time as Leader of the Council to support new enterprise across Nottinghamshire, ensuring good quality jobs and a more secure future for young people in the County.

Outside of County Hall, Kay has interests: gardening, horse racing, history, and architecture.

Dawn Ward CBE - Burton and South Derbyshire College

Dawn is Chief Executive and Principal of Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC). In 2017 she was awarded The Medal of Merit of the Royal House of Georgia to recognise her international work in the field of Further Education. Dawn holds many board level positions across a range of market leading organisations associated with Further and Higher Education, has lead a range of regional/national groups related to the technical and vocational sector within the UK and has received numerous accolades for her leading contribution to skills.